Burnt & Burning
by Ari's Red Motorcycle
Summary: Ari gets cut off from Mossad because his cover gets blown and he must find his own way to survive without their protection. Eventually Ari/Kate also lots of Ari/Ziva sibling stuff
1. New Orders

**Description:** Ari gets cut off from Mossad or "burned" because his cover gets blown and he must find his own way to survive without their protection. It's kinda like Burn Notice but with NCIS. Not a cross over but inspired by. AU. Takes place mid season 2. Kate's still alive and the team hasn't met Ziva yet. Going to be Kari because I love them so much! Also starring lots of Ziva!

**Disclaimer:** Don't know who owns the characters but it's not me! I'm borrowing!

**Author's Note:** For those of you who do not know a burn notice, according to Wikipedia, "is an official statement issued by one intelligence agency to other agencies. It states that an individual or a group is unreliable for one or more reasons or purposes. This is essentially a directive for the recipient to disregard or "burn" all information derived from that individual or group." I have no idea if Mossad would operate this way, but let's say that for the sake of my story, they do.

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**Burnt & Burning**

**By Ari's Red Motorcycle**

"_Spies don't get fired, they get burned… I used to be a spy. Until... 'We got a burn notice on you. You're blacklisted.' When you're burned, you've got nothing: no cash, no credit, no job history… You're stuck in whatever city they decide to dump you in… You do whatever work comes your way... You rely on anyone who's still talking to you... Bottom line? Until you figure out who burned you... you're not going anywhere." - _Burn Notice

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**Chapter 1: ****New Orders**

Ari Haswari sat in a booth by himself at a diner somewhere in Maryland. He had been waiting 2 hours, for someone to meet him and explain what had just happened in the last 3 days.

It was late at night and not many people were in this diner, but the ones that were noticed Ari. His face was bruised and swelling, though it looked much better than it had 2 days ago. He had at least one broken rib and 2 broken fingers on his left hand which he put in a cheap split he made himself. If he wasn't wearing pants and a jacket, everyone would see more bruising along his entire body.

In the past few days somehow he was discovered by Al-Qaeda to be a mole working for Mossad. He wondered how that happened. He was almost positive that it wasn't through any fault of his own. But it wasn't that important. What was important was that he find a way to hide from his many enemies that would now be coming after him. That was why he was sitting at a hole-in-the-wall-diner waiting for his contact, who must still be on Israeli time.

He could not help but go over everything in his head. One moment he was giving instructions to the cell and the next they had turned on him. He could recall one of the members receiving a phone call before everything fell apart. In his escape he was forced to kill 2 of the members of the cell. This left 4, who were going to come after him. They had to be taken out and Mossad was going to do it. But the damage has been done and now Al-Qaeda and Hamas were never going to stop hunting him.

When his contact finally walked through the door, he had never been so happy to see Ziva David in his whole life. She spotted him easily and sat across from him.

Once she saw him up close she could only stare for a few minutes and eventually say in their language, "Ari… how did this happened?"

"I'm not sure Ziva. Somebody exposed me as Mossad and I have no idea how." Ari stopped speaking as the waitress came over.

"What do you want to drink?" She asked Ziva. The waitress was annoyed that Ari had been in the table for hours and only drank one cup of coffee and was not concealing her frustration.

"Coffee is fine." Ziva said in English. The waitress left. "Are you sure you didn't do something to expose yourself?" Ziva continued the conversation in Hebrew.

"I don't think so."

"When we found out that your cover was blown, we came immediately. The D.C. cell has been eliminated. You don't have to worry about them coming after you." Ziva wanted to give him some sort of comfort.

"But I do have to worry about every other terrorist on the planet, who will eventually find me! Are you sure you got them all?"

"Only 4 left correct? Yes and we blew up the safe house. There is no evidence left that you were there."

The waitress placed the coffee on the table and walked away without another word.

"I think your losing your charm Haswari!" Ziva tried to lighten the mood.

Ari smiled. Their waitress was attractive and any other day he would be charming her but he bigger things to attend to at the moment.

"Are there any more Mossad agents in the area?" Ari asked.

"No they got on the plane a few hours ago. I was supposed to be on the flight with them but I couldn't leave without making sure you were alright." Ziva reached across the table and placed her hand on his. For only a second they shared a sibling moment. Ziva was the only person on earth that Ari cared about and he still hated showing it. Ziva was really worried about him and her eyes said it all.

Ari moved his hand out from under hers and attempted to still her worrying, "I'll be fine and in a few weeks this will all be forgotten." He hoped. "What are my orders?"

Ziva looked away for a second. She had more bad news and didn't know how to tell her only brother. "Father thinks it is best for you to lay low for awhile."

"I assumed that was the plan but is there something else?" She never could lie well to him and he knew she was trying to sugar-coat something.

"You were burned by Mossad." She said slowly.

"You're joking!"

"No. Father is really upset that your cover was blown and that Mossad had to clean up after you."

"Tell _Deputy Director David_" Ari emphasized not calling him his father, "that I didn't do anything wrong and that someone in Mossad blew my cover."

"I told him that, and he said if you get burned and lay low for a few years, you will be allowed back. We just have to figure out who did this to you first."

"A few years? I have given up my life for Mossad and after everything that I have done, they are questioning my loyalties?"

"I'm not."

"Who blew my cover?"

"I don't know." Ziva was telling the truth.

"Anything else I should know?"

"You have been burned and Mossad has destroyed all records that ever said you exist."

"They got my accounts too, didn't they?"

"Yes and I am going to figure this out so you can come home."

"I have more enemies at home than I do here. And I guess they want me to stay right here?" Ari said bitterly.

Ziva nodded.

"Why here? The nation's capital of the country Al-Qaeda hates the most?"

"I don't know why but it's what he said. I think that he believes that Al-Qaeda will assume that you fled the area and will not be looking for you here, not immediately anyway. He also told me I was to leave after the cell was destroyed without seeing you. I think he doesn't want anyone to ever see you with a Mossad agent until this is cleared up."

"Maybe you shouldn't disappoint him." Ari was surprised that Ziva disobeyed Eli. She was always the perfect child who always did what she was told. He was the one who never felt guilty about disobeying Eli's orders.

"Ari…" She paused and then remembered something. "I got you some money to get started." She reached in her pocket and pulled out an envelope. She passed it to him and he didn't look inside.

"How much?" He asked while placing it in his jacket

"Ten thousand American"

"Thank you." It was a lot but not going to get him far if he couldn't work.

"If you need anything there is a number inside to my private cell phone that Mossad doesn't know about. Call me. I'm also going to work on getting you some forged papers so you can have an identity."

Ari nodded in gratitude. "Are you sure you want me to call?" He didn't want her to risk her career and end up in the same position.

"Of course."

"I'll be fine Ziva." Ari felt the need to repeat it. He knew he would be able to find some way to make money and lay low. The only thing that would be a problem would be watching out for assassins. "And you should get home before Eli finds out."

"There is a plane leaving in an hour."

"You should get going then."

They left money on the table and walked out together. Before she left Ziva gave her big brother a hug and hoped it wouldn't be the last one. When she was in her rental car, she left a tear leave her cheek.

Ari sat on a bench outside for awhile after she left. He had nowhere to be. When he left he rode his motorcycle back to the motel he had been staying at for the past 2 days. Due to his injuries, riding was painful but bearable.

When he arrived at the motel he took some pain killers and got into bed. His last thought before he fell asleep was about how miserable the rest of his life was going to be.

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**I always love feedback :-)**


	2. Plans for the Future

**Disclaimer:** Don't know who owns the characters but it's not me! I'm borrowing!

**Author's Note:** I now know, thanks to _KidonDarkAngel_, that Mossad does not burn their officers that they can't trust (my bad! I should've looked that up). The real Mossad would take a compromised agent and find a place to hide him, (as I'm sure many American agencies would do as well) but that wouldn't make for a very interesting story would it? Let's just say that since Ari's father is the Deputy Director and _evil_, he can do anything he wants and call it "in the best interest of the agency." So Ari's cover was blown and for some reason Eli wanted him out of the way.

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**Burnt & Burning**

**By Ari's Red Motorcycle**

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**Chapter 2: Plans for the Future**

It was one month after Ari had last seen his sister. He spent that month not doing much. There was nothing to do. He was able to find a room to rent long term. It was a small room in an elderly lady's house but already had a bed so Ari could not complain. It was in the suburbs Virginia far away from everything, which is what made him take the room. Also the fact that the landlord was willing to accept cash for rent did not hurt.

In the last month his bruises had healed but his fingers and ribs still hurt a little at times. He had not spoken to his sister because he did not want her to get in trouble with Eli and he would not know what to say. If he called her, she might think he was in trouble. To his sister: No news is good news. Even if he was in trouble, he was not the kind of person to ask for help, especially from his little sister. He handled his problems on his own. He hadn't been attacked by assassins yet either. It had been a very dull month.

It was late morning and he was at a computer café in D.C. He was looking for some kind of employment but found nothing. He was not qualified for anything other than espionage and assassination. He also knew no one would hire him without any papers. He had his passport but it had his real name on it, therefore, he could not use it. It would lead Al-Qaeda right to him. He wondered if he should burn it just to be safe. He had never been so frustrated in his life and there was nothing he could do about it. He would have to find a counterfeiter.

When he was about to leave he noticed something out of the corner of his eye: NCIS agent Caitlin Todd. She had just entered with a man who was another member of Team-Gibbs. Ari could not remember his name but he remembered reading about him while planning his infiltration of NCIS. Ari didn't care to remember his name, he kept him eyes on Caitlin. She would not notice him staring at her due to the fact that he was in the back of the room. She was wearing a dark blue suit that flattered her very well. She had her head high, as she always did, and a look of determination in her eyes and Ari knew immediately that she was on a mission.

The two agents starting looking around for someone or something. Ari slouched further in his chair. The last thing he needing was to get arrested by NCIS. He started making an escape plan in his head: he could either go out the front or the back depending on what happens next.

Caitlin found who they were looking for and started questioning him. Ari could not hear what they were saying but the man they were questioning did not look well. He looked nervous and he might try to run. And he did but he didn't get far before the agents got him and put him in cuffs. The two agents walked out with the suspect and never noticed their enemy at the other end of the café.

Ari sat there a little while longer to make sure he would miss them. When he got up to leave, Ari put on his sunglasses and grabbed a newspaper. As he walked out the front exit, he kept his head down on the paper just in chase NCIS was still in the area. They were gone, to his relief.

He continued to walk around for awhile trying to map out a plan. If he ran into NCIS agents again he would be screwed. The odds of it happening, in this big city, were slim to none but if it happened he would have to be prepared. No government agency hated him as much as NCIS. He had worked a little with the FBI and Secret Service in the past and he was not worried about running into Fornell or any other agency agent. The only agency he had ever really crossed was NCIS and if Gibbs ever finds out that Ari was in this city one or both of them would end up dead.

The more he thought of NCIS, the more he would think of Caitlin. And the more he thought of her, the more he realized that she was the only agent he wouldn't mind running into. If their paths did cross, she may or may not want to hurt him. The last time she tried to hurt him, she hesitated for a second and if he was a few seconds slower, she might have succeeded. He knew that she hesitated because on some level she recognized that he wasn't a terrorist. And several months later she found out that he was an undercover mole in Hamas.

As he thought of her, he became more and more determined to see her. If she tries to stab him again he would just have to stop her again.

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A few days later, at 3:07 a.m. Ari was woken by his cell. The caller id said "OUT OF AREA" and it made him wonder if he should answer. He didn't. The caller hung up after several rings. Ari's cell was pre-paid, had no voice mail and wasn't set up to receive text messages. He never used it because he had no one to call. Two minutes later his phone rang again and this time the caller did not hang up. After a few minutes of letting it ring, he finally decided to answer but did not say anything.

"Ari?" He heard his sister say and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Do you have any idea what time it is here?" Ari growled.

"How much do you love me?" Ziva ignored his question.

"Not a whole lot at this moment!"

"That really hurts my feelings!" Ari could just imagine her fake pout on her face that she often used on him when she knew something that he did not. She sounded in a good mood and Ari hoped whatever news she had would mean that he could go home.

"Ziva, why are you calling?"

"I have good news, not great news, but I am sure you will like it."

With that, Ari's hopes for returning to Israel were shot down.

"We have this intelligence of a counterfeiter in your area. He is very good. He will be able to get you an id and rewrite your past. Apparently he can get you a new identity and you can apply for a job with the FBI with it."

"FBI is not for me." He stated simply. "How can anyone be that good?"

"Very few people and he has been in business for many years. But it is going to cost you"

"I assumed that kind of identity would cost anybody."

"I'll send you more money."

"Stop trying to mother me, Ziva! I'm perfectly capable of getting money myself!" Ari snapped. He immediately felt bad. She was the only one who was trying to help him. He opened his mouth again to apologize but she stopped him.

"It is alright. I know you must be very miserable right now."

"What is his name?" Ari wanted to get back on topic.

"Do you remember Ilan Zakai?"

"Yes but I did not realize he was that good."

"In the last decade he has really perfected his technique."

"Are you sure you want to be saying these things over the phone?"

"My line is secure."

"Mine is not."

"Do not worry."

Ari could not help but be worried that their conversation might be listened in on. His sister could sometimes be impulsive and over look small details.

"Has he ever worked with Hamas?" Ari asked.

"Not according to what we know. He fled the country 12 years ago and our sources say that so far, he has only worked with cons, not terrorists."

"What if you are wrong and he is willing to work with anyone who will pay his bill? I will be a dead man."

"You do not have a lot of options right now."

"What makes you think he will be willing to help a burned Mossad operative?"

"You may have to aggressively convince him. And if he will not do it, then feel free to kill him."

"If you know where he is, then why is he still breathing?"

"He is not a real priority. He is not a murderer, just a con artist."

When Ziva was done going over details, she was still not ready to hang up. They had never been the kind of siblings to engage in small talk but she had never felt so far away from him.

"Are you somewhere safe?"

"As safe as I will ever be."

"Are you still hurt?"

"I have healed quite nicely."

"Has anything happened to you?" Ziva asked, not sure what else to say.

"My life here has been uneventful." Ari paused waiting to see if she had any more questions. "Well if that is all… I think I should get back to bed." He made up a reason to hang up because he did not want to listen to the worry in her voice anymore. Not so early in the morning anyway. It was too much.

"You are sure there is nothing else you need?" Ari let out a long sigh then remembered something that he wanted that she could get for him.

"Do you remember when you helped me profile the NCIS agents? Do you still have those records?"

"I am sure I could find them. Why?"

He wondered if his sister could guess what he wanted. He had spent time in the past few days trying to get it but his efforts proved fruitless.

"I need an address." He said simply.

Ziva chuckled for a second when she understood. "It must be the only female agent right? What was her name again?"

"Caitlin Todd"

"This does not sound like laying low to me." Ziva was now laughing. Sometimes her brother could be such a dog.

"I need some way to amuse myself while I am stuck here."

"And what if she shoots you?" She stopped laughing.

"She will not." And if she does, his problems would be solved, he thought.

"How can you be sure?"

"Because I know her."

"You read about her in a file and spend a few hours in her company while you held her hostage! How can you possibly claim to know her?"

"Can you get it or not?" Ari asked sweetly. All he had to do was ask nicely and he could always get her to do something he wanted.

"I will see what I can do."

"I would appreciate that."

"I am sure you would. But she could still cause problems for you."

"I can handle her." He said confidently.

"Very well. I will get her address and call you back."

"Thank you"

"Shalom, Ari."

"Shalom."

They both hung up and before Ari feel asleep again he was glad that his life seemed to be looking up.

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**Sorry that I still haven't gotten to the Kari-ness but it's on its way I promise! I would love your feedback :-)**


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